Former Mexican public security minister Genaro Garcia Luna was arrested in the US on charges of taking millions of dollars in bribes from drug lord 'El Chapo'.

New York prosecutors say Garcia Luna was arrested on Dec. 9 in Dallas, Texas. According to lawyer Richard Donoghue, the former Mexican official received a large amount of money from Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman while helping the notorious drug lord to transport tons of banned substances into the United States.

Garcia Luna faces charges of engaging in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy and making false statements. In a trial in New York, Jesus "Rey" Zambada, a former Sinaloa gang member, confessed to delivering two suitcases with a bribe of up to $ 6-8 million to Luna at a restaurant. However, Garcia Luna denied, calling it a "false statement and defamation".

Garcia Luna, who served as minister from 2006 to 2012, was also accused of covering up Sinaloa's illegal trade in 2001-2012, helping the gang operate without punishment in Mexico.

If convicted by a US jury, Garcia Luna faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. Prosecutors said the former official moved to Florida in 2012 and has accumulated millions of dollars worth of personal wealth, adding that he lied about past criminal activity when applying. US citizenship.